Hyderabad doctors diagnose 32-year-old man with penile allergy after 7 years of discomfort

Hyderabad: In a medical breakthrough, doctors at Aswini Allergy Centre in Hyderabad have successfully diagnosed and treated a 32-year-old man suffering from a severe and rare penile allergy, a condition that had gone undetected for seven years.  

The patient, a married man from Ghaziabad, Uttar Pradesh, had been battling recurring episodes of genital itching, swelling, and rashes, accompanied by respiratory distress, fatigue, and general weakness, loss of sex drive. This rare and unusual medical condition involving an allergic reaction causes inflammation and swelling of the glans penis and foreskin.

Despite seeking medical help multiple times, his condition could not be recognised before and he was given antibiotic therapies that only provided temporary relief until doctors at Aswini Allergy Centre made the diagnosis. 

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Penile allergy, also known as allergic balanoposthitis, is a rare but serious condition that can cause chronic pain, discomfort, and emotional distress if left untreated. Symptoms include persistent redness, itching, swelling, pain during urination or sexual activity, burning sensations, and overall weakness. It can be caused by contact allergens like latex, lubricants, and soaps, to systemic allergens such as food and environmental factors.

Once diagnosed, the patient was put on antihistamines and immune modulators to control the allergic reaction. He was also administered advanced allergen-specific immunotherapy.

Speaking about his condition, Dr.Vyakarnam Nageshwar, Chief Allergist and Immunologist at Aswini Allergy Centre, who made the diagnosis, told Telangana Today, "The condition, though not widely reported, is a serious concern that can cause chronic discomfort, pain, and emotional distress if left untreated. The patient had been experiencing recurring episodes of genital itching, swelling, and rashes, accompanied by respiratory distress, fatigue, and general weakness, loss of sex drive for the past 7 years."

“A deep dive into the patient’s history revealed that he is allergic to seafood like prawns, crabs, fish, and nuts for the past 10 years. Without any prescription, on advice, he purchased some cream online for penile swelling and to increase his sex drive. After applying on penis, he developed rashes on body, penile swelling, lip swelling, extreme discomfort and weakness,” Dr Vyakarnam added.

On undertaking the modified allergen skin prick tests for food and environmental allergens revealed very high histamine in the patient. The patient also tested positive for allergy to peanut, crab, prawn, fish, almonds and coconut. He also tested positive for allergies for house dust mites, cockroach, fungal spores, and pollens.